This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. The main objective of the Mentoring Core is to provide guidance to the Arkansas INBRE Project Leaders (PLs) and their associated researchers (postdoctoral fellows, graduate and undergraduate students) in the development of successful research careers. Through the establishment and execution of Undergraduate Faculty Career Development and Mentoring Plans, the Core helps the PLs from the partner UGIs to achieve the ultimate goal of becoming independently funded. The Mentoring Advisory Committee (MAC) promotes the PLs research accomplishments and progress toward independent funding by facilitating interactions among the UGI PLs, their mentors, UGI administrators, and the Arkansas INBRE leadership. Through the evaluation of the PLs annual progress reports, the MAC will propose PLs for graduation from the Arkansas INBRE program, and recommend other research-active UGI faculty for inclusion in the network so that they may benefit from Arkansas INBRE support of their developing research projects. Originally, the Mentoring Core proposed to promote networking among the Arkansas INBRE investigators by establishing Research Focus Groups. Given the teaching commitments of the Project Leaders and the distances needed to travel from all corners of the state, it proved impractical to have regular Focus Group meetings. Instead, a Seminar Series was established to allow Project Leaders to invite experts in their research field to visit their undergraduate campuses to present a research seminar and interact with the different biomedical researchers, both faculty and students.